Hal Holbrook

Harold Rowe Holbrook Jr. was a highly acclaimed American actor, renowned for his versatility and talent across stage, film, and television. Here are some highlights of his remarkable career:

1. Mark Twain Tonight!: Holbrook gained widespread acclaim for his one-man stage show, "Mark Twain Tonight!" which he developed while studying at Denison University in 1954. His portrayal of Mark Twain earned him the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play in 1966.
2. Film Career: Holbrook made his film debut in Sidney Lumet's "The Group" in 1966. He achieved international recognition for his role as Deep Throat in the 1976 film "All the President's Men." He portrayed Abraham Lincoln in the miniseries "Lincoln" (1973) and "North and South" (1985). His film credits also include "Julia," "Capricorn One," "The Fog," "Creepshow," "Wall Street," "The Firm," "Hercules," and "Men of Honor."
3. Into the Wild: Holbrook's role as Ron Franz in Sean Penn's "Into the Wild" (2007) earned him critical acclaim and nominations for both an Academy Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Supporting Actor.
4. That Evening Sun: He received further critical praise for his performance as retired farmer Abner Meecham in the independent film "That Evening Sun" (2009).
5. Lincoln (2012): Holbrook portrayed Francis Preston Blair in Steven Spielberg's "Lincoln," adding another notable performance to his illustrious career.
6. Awards and Honors: In addition to his Tony Award, Holbrook won five Primetime Emmy Awards for his television work. He was also nominated for an Academy Award for his performance in "Into the Wild." In 2003, he received the National Humanities Medal from President George W. Bush, recognizing his contributions to American culture and the arts.

Harold Rowe Holbrook Jr.'s legacy as a talented and respected actor spans over six decades, leaving an indelible mark on the entertainment industry.


Harold Rowe Holbrook Jr. entered this world on February 17, 1925, in Cleveland, Ohio. His mother, Aileen Holbrook, was a skilled vaudeville dancer, while his father, Harold Rowe Holbrook Sr., had his own endeavors. Tragically, Holbrook and his sisters faced abandonment by their parents at a tender age of two. Raised by their paternal grandparents, their journey began in Weymouth, Massachusetts, before settling in Lakewood, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland.
Holbrook's educational path took him through Culver Military Academy, followed by Denison University. It was during his time at Denison that his fascination with Mark Twain blossomed into a remarkable one-man show, titled Mark Twain Tonight!, which became his signature performance. He also honed his craft at HB Studio in New York City.
During the tumultuous years of World War II, from 1942 to 1946, Holbrook served in the United States Army, attaining the rank of staff sergeant. His service led him to Newfoundland, where amidst the chaos of war, he found solace on stage, performing in theater productions like Lady Precious Stream.

Holbrook's debut solo performance as Mark Twain took place at Lock Haven State Teachers College in Pennsylvania in 1954. It was a pivotal moment when Ed Sullivan, a renowned figure, spotted his talent and provided him with national exposure on The Ed Sullivan Show on February 12, 1956. Alongside his television appearances, Holbrook was deeply involved with the Valley Players, a summer-stock theater group based in Holyoke, Massachusetts, performing at Mountain Park Casino Playhouse.
Joining The Lambs Club in 1955 marked another milestone for Holbrook, where he refined his one-man show. His dedication bore fruit when he was selected to perform Mark Twain Tonight! as the opening act for the 1957 season. The significance of his portrayal reached international shores when the State Department commissioned him for a European tour, including groundbreaking performances behind the Iron Curtain.
In 1959, Holbrook took his portrayal of Mark Twain off-Broadway, captivating audiences with his remarkable performance. The show's success led Columbia Records to record an LP featuring excerpts from his captivating rendition.

For the 1964/1965 New York World's Fair, Holbrook participated in a special production at the Bell Telephone Pavilion. Under the direction of Jo Mielziner, an innovative audio-visual ride experience titled "The Ride of Communications" was crafted. Holbrook's versatile acting skills were showcased on 65 different action screens in the movie known as From Drumbeats to Telstar.
In 1967, CBS and Xerox brought Mark Twain Tonight! to television, earning Holbrook an Emmy Award for his outstanding performance. The show made its Broadway debut in 1966, with subsequent runs in 1977 and 2005. Remarkably, during his final Broadway stint, Holbrook was 80 years old, surpassing the age of the character he portrayed for the first time. His stellar portrayal earned him a Tony Award in 1966.
Until his retirement in 2017 at the age of 92, Holbrook tirelessly toured the country with Mark Twain Tonight!, delivering over 2,100 performances. This remarkable journey began in the spring of 1962 and concluded in September 2014, with one of his final shows held at his high school alma mater in Indiana.

In 1964, Holbrook took on the role of the Major in the original staging of Arthur Miller's Incident at Vichy. He later joined the original Broadway production of Man of La Mancha in 1968, stepping in as a replacement for Richard Kiley, despite his limited singing abilities. That same year, he shared the screen with Shirley Booth in the highly praised CBS Playhouse presentation of The Glass Menagerie.
A notable collaboration came in 1972 when Holbrook co-starred with Martin Sheen in the controversial television film That Certain Summer. Around this time, he also appeared in a public service announcement commissioned by the Ad Council, cautioning parents about drug abuse penalties in foreign countries for college students studying abroad. In 1973, his portrayal of Lieutenant Neil Briggs, the meticulous and authoritarian antagonist to Clint Eastwood's Detective "Dirty" Harry Callahan in Magnum Force, earned critical acclaim.
Holbrook's rendition of Abraham Lincoln in a series of television specials adapted from Carl Sandburg's biography garnered widespread praise in 1976. He clinched a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for his role in the 1970 series The Bold Ones: The Senator. Additionally, his portrayal of the mysterious Deep Throat in All the President's Men added to his acclaim.
In 1979, he starred alongside Katharine Ross, Barry Bostwick, and Richard Anderson in the television movie Murder by Natural Causes. Holbrook's versatility extended to various mini-series, including George Washington (1984) and Dress Gray (1986), while maintaining his presence in theatrical productions like King Lear. Furthermore, he lent his distinctive voice as the narrator for the Ken Burns documentary Lewis & Clark: The Journey of the Corps of Discovery in 1997.

References

1.  "Veteran actor Hal Holbrook's loving his Oscar nod". CNN.com. Retrieved April 12, 2015.
2. a b "Hal Holbrook". Emmys. Archived from the original on May 18, 2015. Retrieved October 23, 2018.
3. "Hal Holbrook". Biography.com. Archived from the original on September 24, 2018. Retrieved April 12, 2015.
4. ^ "Hal Holbrook Filmography". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on August 9, 1997. Retrieved January 25, 2017.
5. a b c d e "That Evening Sun". Variety. Archived from the original on August 16, 2010. Retrieved March 26, 2009.
6. a b "Hal Holbrook is always up for challenging fare". LA Times.com. December 16, 2012. Archived from the original on October 17, 2015. Retrieved April 12, 2015.
7. a b "First-Look Photo: Anthony Hopkins in 'Go With Me' – Berlin". Yahoo! TV. February 6, 2015. Archived from the original on February 9, 2015. Retrieved February 9, 2015.